Alright, theres no forums specifically for this here, so I figure I'd ask my good pals here in the AK forums as you guys have never steered me wrong. I've finally gotten enough firearms to warrent some kind of storage for them, a gun safe would be optimal. The only problem with this being an apartment. How would I go about getting a massive safe up stairs and into an apartment without an elevator? I've though about having a bunch of friends help me carry it (this is a last lesort that could end up with someone laying under a safe). I've also considered roping/chaining it all up, and laying some plywood on the stairs and having me and some other people pull it up the stairs to the top. Does anyone else have any other ideas? Also something to think about, what kind of chain/rope would I need to purchase to withstand the weight of a massive gunsafe? Its not my roomate so much I'm worried about as the stupid friends he has over at times, so simply one of those locked "Cabinents" will not work as those are easily broken. I know some people might say "well, set down rules as to whos allowed over" but even then, a nice gun safe is still a very good investment.

Thanks,
Nick

Not many replies yet huh? Probably because it's kinda of hard to give you a good reponse. If someone want's into your "safe", they are going to get in. The best thing to do is tell your roomie, no creeps. If you can't then concelment would be best. A big safe say's "I have something worth getting to". I think you would be better off with the cabinet type bolted to the wall and floor in your closet then a large safe in the open. Add a serious pad lock to it if you feel you need to. I use concelment though I live in a house with the wife and kiddies, no creeps, but why push it. I build things like false walls and what looks like funiture, benches, even game tables and such that are really storage for my stuff. No matter what you do, don't advertise your collection if there is a bad element about. And get a new roomie.

Quoted: Not many replies yet huh? Probably because it's kinda of hard to give you a good reponse. If someone want's into your "safe", they are going to get in. The best thing to do is tell your roomie, no creeps. If you can't then concelment would be best. A big safe say's "I have something worth getting to". I think you would be better off with the cabinet type bolted to the wall and floor in your closet then a large safe in the open. Add a serious pad lock to it if you feel you need to. I use concelment though I live in a house with the wife and kiddies, no creeps, but why push it. I build things like false walls and what looks like funiture, benches, even game tables and such that are really storage for my stuff. No matter what you do, don't advertise your collection if there is a bad element about. And get a new roomie.

First of all, I disagree with that. Unless of course your roomie hangs out with a large crowd of, say, professional bank robbers?

That said, a good safe is going to weigh six hundred pounds or more, so your apartment certainly is an issue!

I myself would be looking for professional help here. There are people who deliver these and other heavy things (pianos, hot tubs) for a living and to them it would be easy.

Just my .02.

Well the best overall normal value I found was the one at Sams.

Took off the door and moved it with just me a friend and a handtruck.  

Moved 2 that way, not that hard

Quoted: Well the best overall normal value I found was the one at Sams. Took off the door and moved it with just me a friend and a handtruck.   Moved 2 that way, not that hard

Up stairs???

Quoted: Quoted: Well the best overall normal value I found was the one at Sams. Took off the door and moved it with just me a friend and a handtruck.   Moved 2 that way, not that hard Up stairs???

Up 6 steps into a house.  Wasnt fun or easy.  One person pull on it, one person push from bottom.

I went with a Heritage when I finally bought a safe this spring, but I looked long and hard at these when I was an apartment dweller.  I never had a problem, but looking back it was really dumb not to have a safe -- especially for the six months that a very *real* M14NM was just laying in a case at the foot of my bed.

I live in wood home and did not want to put a safe in my garage. I was concerned about a the weight of a big heavy safe inside my house and the difficulty of moving it downstairs.

I ended up choosing a Stack-On:

http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/gun_safes/gs-410.html

It's not too big and easy enough to move around (approx 200#). I bolted it to walls and floor in a hidden location, so it is pretty secure. I'm happy with it (although I now think I should have gotten a larger one!).

radioz

I have a 400 pound safe in my basement. Me and my friend were able to get it from the bed of my truck, up to the front porch, and back down the basement steps with just a dolly and some careful manuvering. I would bet if you had 4 guys, getting it up a set of stairs wouldn't be that hard.

Mine is also a Stack-on brand, but it dosen't hold NEARLY the amount of guns it was supposed to. It would if a gun = a peice of pipe, but with things like pistol grips, cocking handles, and even just a stock, they're laying all over each other. I ended up just removing all the little cradles and placing all my guns in sleeves. It would be absolutely phyiscally impossible to fit as many guns as advertised in there without just dumping them in there, so if your collection is a growing one, I suggest you find an alternative.

If you're really worried that your room mate's friends are going to break into your locked safe you need to move. Sorry, but it's that simple. It's not something you could just casually do.

The Stack-on I bought seems to be built like a tank, but even it (or any others I've seen) wouldn't have a chance agaist a simple angle grinder.

depending on how many stairs you need to go up. if there are many landings to rest on it can be done with a few guys. if its a ridiculous amount of stairs then just pay a mover to do it. they have special stair dollies. you could also rent a stair dollie. so. if you and 3 other buddies want to drag it up there, depending on how heavy it is. get yourself a long peice of scrap carpet thats half as wide as the safe and long enough to go the length of the stairs. you lay the carpet over the stairs so you have something that the safe will slide on. 2 guys pushing on the bottom and 2 guys pulling on a heavy strap wrapped around the bottom will be able to move it up or down simply. wait till after to drink the beers!

Quoted: I have a 400 pound safe in my basement. Me and my friend were able to get it from the bed of my truck, up to the front porch, and back down the basement steps with just a dolly and some careful manuvering. I would bet if you had 4 guys, getting it up a set of stairs wouldn't be that hard. Mine is also a Stack-on brand, but it dosen't hold NEARLY the amount of guns it was supposed to. It would if a gun = a peice of pipe, but with things like pistol grips, cocking handles, and even just a stock, they're laying all over each other. I ended up just removing all the little cradles and placing all my guns in sleeves. It would be absolutely phyiscally impossible to fit as many guns as advertised in there without just dumping them in there, so if your collection is a growing one, I suggest you find an alternative.

A 26 gun safe holds just what it says it will.  26 Ruger 10-22's.  Always buy the biggest you can afford.  I didn't, and now I am looking for another safe...

It depends how many guns you have and how many you intend to buy within the next 5-10 years.  Thats what I (will) ask myself when it comes time to buy.  I personally think its not bad if you have 3 small safes over 1 large safe.  The mobility of 3 small safes is far greater and I think less hassle to move them.

Quoted: Quoted: Well the best overall normal value I found was the one at Sams. Took off the door and moved it with just me a friend and a handtruck.   Moved 2 that way, not that hard Up stairs???

Use a block and tackel.  Buy it at HomeDespot or similar place.  Makes moving a safe up stairs very easy.  They also sell safes that you assemble and disassembler by bolts located on the inside.  These work well, but have slightly less fire protection.  Remember, it is better to get multiple safes that can be positioned in multiple parts of the dwelling than to get one big mostrosity.

Quoted: Quoted: I have a 400 pound safe in my basement. Me and my friend were able to get it from the bed of my truck, up to the front porch, and back down the basement steps with just a dolly and some careful manuvering. I would bet if you had 4 guys, getting it up a set of stairs wouldn't be that hard. Mine is also a Stack-on brand, but it dosen't hold NEARLY the amount of guns it was supposed to. It would if a gun = a peice of pipe, but with things like pistol grips, cocking handles, and even just a stock, they're laying all over each other. I ended up just removing all the little cradles and placing all my guns in sleeves. It would be absolutely phyiscally impossible to fit as many guns as advertised in there without just dumping them in there, so if your collection is a growing one, I suggest you find an alternative. A 26 gun safe holds just what it says it will.  26 Ruger 10-22's.  Always buy the biggest you can afford.  I didn't, and now I am looking for another safe...

Exactly. If you're lucky.

I got one of the Winchester safes from Wal-Mart, they are the same as Sam's sells. They weigh 525 pounds and hold 24 guns(ha- ha). I rented a hand truck that "walks" up or down stairs and four of us moved it up the back porch and down stairs into the basement with a little difficulty.

The nice thing about this hand truck is that it reaches the ground from the bed of a pick-up truck. It would of went a lot smoother if the electrical had worked on the hand truck. That is the trouble with rental stuff, used and abused.

I have 21 long guns crammed into at the moment and it will hold no more. It might hold 24 if they are pump shotguns or lever actions. If you have pistol grips, scopes or charging handles the space fills fast.

I knew this when I bought it but that is the only size that will fit where I want it. I am just going to buy another one to fill up.

This is the truck I used:
Stair Climbing hand truck

Quoted: I have a 400 pound safe in my basement. Me and my friend were able to get it from the bed of my truck, up to the front porch, and back down the basement steps with just a dolly and some careful manuvering. I would bet if you had 4 guys, getting it up a set of stairs wouldn't be that hard. Mine is also a Stack-on brand, but it dosen't hold NEARLY the amount of guns it was supposed to. It would if a gun = a peice of pipe, but with things like pistol grips, cocking handles, and even just a stock, they're laying all over each other. I ended up just removing all the little cradles and placing all my guns in sleeves. It would be absolutely phyiscally impossible to fit as many guns as advertised in there without just dumping them in there, so if your collection is a growing one, I suggest you find an alternative. If you're really worried that your room mate's friends are going to break into your locked safe you need to move. Sorry, but it's that simple. It's not something you could just casually do. The Stack-on I bought seems to be built like a tank, but even it (or any others I've seen) wouldn't have a chance agaist a simple angle grinder.

I'm not worried about them breaking into a SAFE. Thats why I want one. I'm worried about them getting into a gun cabinent, or my closet where I store them now.